Let’s just get right to it: I’ve been knitting nothing but stockinette in handspun lately. I will likely move on to garter stitch or reverse stockinette eventually, but for now I just want plain socks. I’ve interspersed some recent completed hand-knits among the pictures of handspun and plain plain plain, just as a palette cleanser.

Some beautiful targhee from Abstract Fiber in Gaston is becoming toe-up socks with a fleegle heel.

I was a bad sock-parent and put off darning these funfetti socks until it was desperate. Maybe I need to share custody with someone more responsible…

Frabjous Fiber’s polwarth in Toucan became an entrelac cowl that has yet to be sewn up.

It is immensely satisfying to go from the first picture to the last picture. Right now knitting is not being very satisfying, because I’m too busy to spend a good chunk of time on it. Everything is inching along, giving me the illusion that nothing is happening. Perhaps a couple weeks from now I’ll suddenly have knit the attached lace border for a shawl, or have some very late Mother’s Day socks, but somehow I can’t get myself to believe it, especially since my other projects (hand-quilting a bag for my spinning wheel so I can take it to guild meetings (more on that later), re-upholstering 3 chairs and a bench, unpacking a staggering number of books, adding variety to my diet) all seem to be coming along just as slowly.

I thought spring was about fresh starts and relentless growth, what the hell happened?

Now, these photos are a tad misleading, since they don’t show the ends that need to be woven in (despite the socks being completed over two weeks ago). But I’m currently choosing to ignore pesky things like ends in favour of (finally!) working on the knitted-on edging for my Quill.

Ends can be woven in tomorrow, which I have off. I’ve got shit to do!

P.S. For those of you who can’t go through life without a little something to gossip about, you should know that I always weave in ends at the cuffs of things, but toes/armpits/interior ends only get woven in if the yarn is superwash. Saves me buckets of time and sanity, and gives me something to confess when I’m feeling guilty, because truth be told I’m a very boring knitter.

I have been absent but busy. So busy that this design has needed edits for four months. But no more! I’ve given it a good look-over, and it’s ready to take the edge off a cool day or a last-minute gift scramble with its cosiness.

Late last week, I accepted a job in Arkansas. I’m in the process of sorting and packing and tying up loose ends, which is the best possible excuse for my house being a mess and neglecting everything that doesn’t involve transporting me and my house across the country.

The ends from these gloves are woven in, but the left is mysteriously 3 rounds shorter than the right. Eventually there will be surgery to correct this. I’ve also been knitting a lace blanket on my mother’s request. It’s large, plain, deep red, and boring me to death. The sock above is the perfect antidote.

I love new year’s resolutions. What I love even more is setting myself up to succeed at them. For me, this means telling people about them, making resolutions that are (mostly) about process rather than product, and having ramping resolutions that help me build habits and stamina.

1. Spin more! My first try was quite encouraging so this shouldn’t be too hard.

2. Sew any/more. This also shouldn’t be too difficult, and I will talk more about my recent acquisition soon.

3. Be in the habit of sketching (even a tiny bit!) 5-or-so days per week by the end of 2014.

4. Publish more patterns in 2014 than I did in 2013, paying particular attention to streamlining my process.

5. Use my lovely 1992 Tolkien diary/day planner regularly, because this will allow me to do ALL THE THINGS without getting overwhelmed.

It’s the incredibly inexperienced product of that drop spindle (so far). I shall let you know what happens when I attempt to ply it tomorrow. I’m hoping for a heavy worsted-ish 2-ply, but I have no freaking clue what’s going to happen, and that’s part of the fun!